Strike Out!
by whiteswan
Summary: Cowritten with GoldAngel. Ever wonder what would happen if the Eagle got bitten by the green eyed monster? Rated for language


Strike Out!

Disclaimer: Yet another one shot collaboration with Goldangel. Gatchaman and all related character do not belong to us, they are the property of Tatsunoko Productions. However, Daisuke is our creation and ours alone to torture, maim or destroy as we so please. Enjoy!

Glossary:

kirei na-beautiful

kami(s)-god(s)

oneechan-older sister (Jinpei's title for Jun)

aka-chan-baby (endearment)

aniki (no)-big brother (Jinpei's title for Ken and Joe)

kuso/k'so-shit

imoto-little sister

okashira-captain, commander, boss

shiseiji-bastard

koi-love (endearment)

It was a typical night at the Snack J: loud music, good crowd and liquid refreshment flowing freely. It was one of those nights that Jun both welcomed and dreaded at the same time. She welcomed them because of the business they brought in and the band was great, but dreaded them because of the inordinate amount of rowdies that inevitably showed up. Tonight's arrivals were the newly crowned softball champions of the league, the team from Ikara Enterprises, one of the largest contractors for the ISO. Their star pitcher was none other than the crown prince of the Ikara Enterprise himself, Ikara Daisuke: a head case if there ever was one. Not only was he arrogant and pushy, but he strutted around the bar as if he were the kamis' gift to all the women of Utoland. As soon as they had arrived, the team immediately filled themselves with sake and Keiren beer, with the occasional shot of Jagermeister on the side. Needless to say, the bumps and bruises acquired from the game were no longer causing any discomfort.

Jun returned from the table now ringing with raucous laughter, her expression slightly harried. Her shapely posterior felt like a melon on market day. If one more unfortunate letch groped her, he would leave missing a hand. Jinpei looked at her sympathetically from his position behind the counter and commented, "Rowdy crowd tonight, huh oneechan? Want me to switch with you for a while?"

Jun sighed as she set her tray down, "Thanks Jinpei, I'd appreciate it. Table four is waiting on another round of sake."

"I'm on it!"

Jun sat heavily down on the stool she kept behind the counter and slipped off a shoe to rub her toes wearily. She then looked up in surprise as a shadow fell over her and a slightly slurred baritone drawled out, "Hey there kirei na, anything I can help you with?"

She quickly stifled a groan, and pasted a smile on her face; just great, here was the playboy himself. Mustering a polite tone, she asked, "Can I do something for you sir?"

Daisuke shot her a smile, while his eyes lingered lasciviously over her bosom, "You already do something for me aka-chan."

Jun's smile faded a bit as she thought, 'Not again.' Ikara Daisuke deserved points for persistence if nothing else. Ever since he and his team had entered the J, he had set his sights on her and stalked her like a jungle predator throughout the night. In fact, it had been his hand that had abused her rear the most. She was about to press her bracelet to signal one of the boys when the door opened to reveal the familiar, and at the moment very welcome, silhouettes of the Condor and Owl. Judging by the expressions on their faces, she could tell that they'd been arguing about something again.

Joe frowned at his teammate, thoroughlydisgusted, "Ryu, when the hell are you going to ditch that sorry bucket of bolts you call a van. That thing's a disgrace to the internal combustion engine."

Ryu shot back with a scowl, "Hey watch what you say about my baby. She's not much for looks but she sure gets the job done."

Joe snorted, "Yeah, keeping the towing companies in business. Some job. Where'd you get that rubber band engine anyway, from a box of cereal?"

"That engine happens to have all its original parts."

"Yeah right, they're all ready to be on display in the Museum of Ancient History. Ryu, it is ok to replace some parts you know, unless of course you have some sick emotional attachment to them."

Ryu was about to retort when he was interrupted by a peeved Swallow stomping over to them and he turned his attention to the boy, "Hey little buddy, what's happening?"

Jinpei tossed an angry thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the bar, "See for yourself."

Joe followed the gesture and snorted derisively, "Who's the bat boy over there with Jun?"

Jinpei scowl deepened as he bit out, "He's the star pitcher of the Ikada Enterprises team. They came in after they won the game tonight and he's been trying to get Oneechan to 'celebrate' with him ever since."

Ryu frowned a bit, "You don't say."

Joe's eyes, however, had narrowed dangerously at this piece of news, "Is that so? Well, looks like we need to go over and rescue her, doesn't it? Go back to waiting tables shrimp, we'll handle it."

Jinpei smirked as he turned, "Hai, aniki no Joe. Have fun."

Their previous argument now forgotten, Joe and Ryu made their way through the crowd to the bar. As they were pushing their way through a knot of enthusiastic dancers, Ryu tapped the taller man on the shoulder to get his attention, "Hey Joe, I just remembered something."

"Yeah, what?"

"Ken said he'd be right behind us when we left my place, remember? And he's already in a shitty mood"

Joe stopped dead in his tracks, "K'so! Go head him off, I'll deal with the idiot. If Ken sees this, it's really gonna hit the fan."

Ryu grunted in affirmation, "Yeah," then turned to head back towards the door in hopes of heading Ken off. He had seen earlier when Ken had dropped by his place that the Eagle was already tired and annoyed from an earlier, unpleasant meeting, in full Birdstyle no less, with Nambu and several other department heads. His mood while the three were hanging out was surly, to put it mildly. If he came in and saw the current situation at the bar, chances were good that the feathers would fly.

Over at the bar, Daisuke's relentlessness was wearing steadily on Jun's already frazzled nerves. The man quite obviously could not comprehend the meaning of the word 'no.' To make matters worse, he was a veritable octopus, grabbing her hand several times, even though she kept pulling it away. He was in the middle of yet another attempt when the tall, lean form of her brother appeared behind him and casually took a seat at the next stool.

Joe cracked the small smirk that often boded no good, "Hey there imoto. Who's your friend?"

Daisuke, fully tanked and not really having much sense to begin with, turned and cast an arrogant eye at the Condor, "Just who the hell are you."

Joe took a swig from the bottle of beer that Jun placed in front of him, then set it down before answering casually, "No one important. Just her brother."

"Oh, her brother huh? Well brother, why don't you just leave me and your sister alone, we're having a good conversation here. I promise I'll take _very_ good care of her." His eyes caressed Jun's figure as he once again reached for her hand.

Joe took another swig from his bottle before stretching himself to his full 6'1" height, "Listen pal, I think we need to talk real quick." Grabbing him by the arm, he led the arrogant and inebriated man over to the dartboard.

Daisuke wrenched his arm away, the alcohol in his system emboldening him, even when facing the dangerously cold, narrowed eyes of the Condor. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Joe gave him a nasty little smile, "Oh nothing, pal, just wanted to have a little chat with you. I see you're a bit sweet on my sister."

"Yeah, what of it?"

"Well, just a couple of things you should probably be aware of. Newsflash number one: she's kind of seeing someone."

"And you're point being?"

Joe's eyes narrowed even further, never a good sign, "Which brings us to newsflash number two: you can _try_ to get my sister to go out with you. If by some small chance you succeed, and you're foolish enough to hurt her in any way, these will be the consequences." Reaching into his pocket, he took a small throwing shuriken and pointed it at the dartboard, "That is your ass. This is my foot." A sharp flick of his wrist sent the shuriken spiraling towards the dartboard, where it hit dead center with pinpoint accuracy, the tip quivering from the force of the impact. "And that is my foot in your ass." Turning back to the shorter man he said, "Any questions?"

Daisuke's face paled a bit at the demonstration, but tossing his head with a snort, he declared, "I'll take my chances."

As he turned to saunter back to the bar, Joe merely shrugged as he took a seat and muttered, "Your funeral."

Meanwhile, Ryu was in the parking lot anxiously scanning the quiet road, thinking that perhaps Ken may have changed his mind and decided to go back to the airfield after all. That faint hope was dashed as he heard the familiar roar of Ken's motorcycle as he pulled into the crowded parking lot, wound his way around the cars and came to a stop in front of Ryu right beside the lit J. Maybe he could distract him instead.

Ryu stepped over to Ken as he doused the light and killed the motor before pocketing the keys. Swinging his leg over the bike's saddle to dismount, he greeted his teammate, "Hey Ryu, sounds like the place is really hopping tonight."

"Actually, " Ryu said, "that's why I came out here. The place really blows tonight. How about you and I go get a burger? I know a great place nearby that has a lot of pretty chicks in it."

Ken grinned and placed a hand on the big man's shoulder, "Thanks Ryu, you go. You know I had a lousy day and I'm not really hungry. I just want to go in, grab a drink and talk to Jun for a while. Maybe another time." He headed for the door, and Ryu shrugged as he followed his commander.

Inside, the would be Lothario was continuing to press his suit on an uninterested Swan, while the Condor kept a close eye on him from the dartboard, fingering the shuriken in his hand. A draft of air heralded yet another arrival to the room and Joe's eyes picked out the yellow number one on Ken's shirt in the dim light of the bar. He strolled over to his two teammates and remarked under his breath, "Glad you see you finally made it. Took you long enough."

Ken ignored the jibe and glanced around, "What's going on, this place is packed tonight."

Ryu spoke up from behind him, "Not much. The Ikara Enterprises baseball team won the championship tonight, and they're here...celebrating."

Ken's blue eyes settled on the table where the team in question was drinking and laughing in boisterous manner, "Is that so? As long as they're not causing Jun any trouble."

Joe smirked a bit, "Well, actually...that ain't necessarily the case."

The Eagle pinned him with a stern look, "Oh? And what is that supposed to mean?"

Joe gestured over to the bar, "See for yourself, okashira."

Ken's normally sky blue eyes darkened nearly to cobalt as he took in the scene in front of him. One of the baseball players was being entirely to forward for his liking towards the Swan, whose pretty face bore the strain of the man's unwanted advances. Ken's hands balled into fists at his sides as he ground out, "Just who the hell is that and why is he pestering Jun?"

Joe shrugged innocently as he could and said, "Not a clue okashira. I tried to tell him that she was spoken for, but he just won't take no for an answer."

"Oh really?" His anger now evident in his tone, Ken pushed past his second in command and made his way through the crowd until he reached the bar.

Jun hadn't noticed his arrival, having been too busy trying to both keep up with the drink orders and discourage Daisuke, who was just not getting the message. She dodged his grasp once again as he whined, "Oh come on aka-chan, just one dance. You know you want to."

A cold, familiar tenor broke in through the noise of the crowd, "Am I interrupting anything?" His voice deceptively calm, Ken took a seat at the bar, smiling briefly at Jun as he greeted her, "Hey Jun, everything ok?"

Her green eyes sparkled for the first time that night as she returned the greeting, "Oh Ken, I'm so glad you could make it. What can I get for you?" Her voice quivered a bit in relief a reaction, which was not lost on Ken as he immediately became concerned.

"You sure you're ok?" His voice was gentle as he asked the question, and she nodded in return.

The exchange did not go unnoticed by Daisuke, who demanded, "And just who the hell is this?"

Immediately disliking the man, and his tone, Ken rose to his feet and held out a hand, appearingquite amiable, "Washio no Ken. And you?"

Daisuke ignored the polite hand and replied arrogantly, "Ikara Daisuke. You should know it."

"Oh?" Ken's own ire was swiftly rising, "Forgive me, but your name does not ring a bell."

Now insulted, Daisuke said, "Look pal, why don't you drink your drink and run along like a good little boy. Aka-chan here and I have some business to attend to."

Ken raised an eyebrow as his temper flared, _Aka-chan? Where the hell does he get off calling her aka-chan? _Speaking aloud once more, he commented, "Oh, I see. So your business is foisting your attention on a lady who obviously doesn't want it? Pretty pathetic, don't you think?"

Enraged, Daisuke pushed a barstool with such force that it toppled over, "Look you long haired punk, I told you to butt out and I mean it. Unless you want your teeth splattered on the ground, I suggest you buzz off."

Observing everythingfrom his position at the dartboard, Joe smirked in amusementand commented to Ryu, "Better duck and cover, it's really gonna start flying now."

Jun tried to intervene, "Ken, it's ok, I can handle this. Don't worry about me."

Ken laid a gentle hand on hers in reassurance, "Don't worry about it Jun. You know I can't stand it when people disrespect you. You take care of your other customers and leave this guy to me."

Daisuke's eyes fell on the seemingly tender exchange and his vision went red. Getting into what he considered a fighting stance, he growled, "Oh I see, you're another brother who thinks I'm not good enough to be around your precious sister huh? Well, we'll see about that."

Ken smirkedat him, "Brother? Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm definitely not her brother. As a matter of fact, the way I feel about her is about as far from brotherly as you can imagine. Anyone who disrespects her, answers to me."

The pitch of Daisuke's voice rose as he bellowed, "Oh yeah? Then let's settle this thing right here and now."

Ken's smile was reminiscent of a cat about to pounce on a mouse, "You know, normally I'd walk away from a common barroom brawl. But I've had a really shitty day and you just got on my last nerve. So whenever you're ready, take your best shot."

Reacting blindly to the jibe, Daisuke rushed forward, aiming a sloppy punch at Ken's stomach, which the Eagle handily side-stepped. Using the man's momentum against him, Ken let loose a punishing right tohis jaw, sending him sprawling back into the table his teammates occupied.

The team's catcher looked up in surprise as he took in his flattened teammate's state and his opponent's swift drop into a fighting stance. When Daisuke got up, ready to bull rush Ken, the catcher grabbed his arm to restrain him, "Daisuke, man, better leave that guy alone. I recognize that stance. If you don't want a broken nose or worse, it's time to split. Your father will have our heads if you get in another fight."

In an alcohol-induced fury that made him reckless Daisuke snapped, "Who the hell cares? I'm gonna get that shiseiji. No one tells me what girl I can or can't have."

From his perch at the dartboard, Joe decided to intervene. Calling over to the lividball player, he commented, "Listen pal, you might want to do as your teammate suggests. You have no idea just what you're getting into."

Daisuke scowled as he said, "Mind your own business, I know what I'm doing."

Joe shrugged, winked at Ryu and tossed Ken a shuriken, "Like I said before,** y**our funeral. Hey Ken, why don't you take a little target practice at the dartboard."

Ken easily caught the shuriken and held it casually, "Maybe later Joe. I'm busy right now." Remaining at the ready, the Eagle glowered at the soddenpitcher, waiting for the man's next move. He was so focused on him that he failed to notice that the standoff had by now drawn the attention of the rest of the bar's patrons as well as that of the suddenly quiet band.

Joe was undaunted as he went on, "Ah, come on, it'll only take you a couple of seconds," A few long strides brought him to his friend's side as he muttered, "Then, if he still wants to fight, you can beat the poor bastard senseless."

Ken acquiesced with a sigh, relaxing his stance, "Alright Joe, have it your way." Raising his hand, he sent the projectile flying with a sharpflick of his wrist. The tiny missile flew through the air and straight at the one left in the board by the Condor, slicing it neatly in two upon impact and imbedding itself halfway into the board."

Joe turned to Daisuke with a smirk, "Remember newsflash number two?" He gestured at Ken then at the dartboard, "Any more questions?"

The fight went out of Daisuke as he stood up and stared at the dartboard but his attention was abruptly yanked back to his opponent as Ken questioned, "Well, are you ready to settle that score now?"

Jun finally managed to push her way through the crowd to Ken's side, "Ken please, I told you I could handle it. Don't fight him."

Even as he returned to the ready stance, Ken gave her a reassuring smile and replied, "Koi, go back over there with Joe and stay out of this. He went way too far, so now I'm going to teach him a lesson."

Sobered by what he had just witnessed, Daisuke shook his head dumbly as the rest of his team rose swiftly to their feet, gathered him up and headed for the door. The catcher remained behind momentarily to bow and apologize, "Forgive my friend, he can be a bit impulsive when he has too much to drink."

Ken relaxed and nodded in acknowledgment, "Just keep him out of here next time."

"Thank you, I will."

Once they'd left and the other patrons returned to their fun, Ken crossed over to his teammates, Reaching up, he brushed a lock of hair away from Jun's face and questioned gently, "You ok Jun?"

"Hai, I'm alright." Her jade eyes sparkled up at him, "Arrigato."

Ken smiled slowly, "Anytime...aka-chan."

The End


End file.
